HoTTWind@Longley wind turbine scheme – community energy

HoTT in partnership with Longley Farm, a local Holmfirth dairy products company, have set up a community energy company, replacing the obsolete Longley turbine with a larger turbine of approximately 225kW capacity. The project became operational in September 2015, following the granting of planning permission in August 2014.

The new turbine is anticipated to produce around 582 MWh per year of green electricity – the equivalent demand of 188 homes. This will offset approximately 286 tonnes per year of CO2 emissions at the grid average emissions factor of 0.45kg/kWh.

Power generated is fed into Longley Farm’s distribution system from where the energy will either be consumed by the dairy or exported to the grid depending on dairy demand and wind speed.

The turbine is owned by a community benefits society, HoTTWind@Longley Ltd. with some 180 members, 80% are residents in the Holme Valley, who have invested some £625,000 in the project. Being a form of cooperative, the society works on the principle of one member one vote.

In operation, the project will pay interest to members, and make an annual allocation to the independently managed trust fund to support low carbon “green” projects in the Holme Valley South area, amounting to over £500,000 over the life of the turbine, via the Bright Green Community Trust (BGCT)

For video of the story of the original wind turbine and the new wind turbine erection, made by Longley Farm, click here